


Earthworms And The Mud

by doctorsimmonswilson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, FitzSimmons Secret Santa, Fluff, Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood, Rainy Days, SO MUCH FLUFF, happy endings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:35:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28520232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorsimmonswilson/pseuds/doctorsimmonswilson
Summary: Fitz can’t seem to find Jemma and Alya when he gets home from the supermarket. Until he finds a note telling him to go to the garden— in the pouring rain.
Relationships: Alya Fitz & Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31





	Earthworms And The Mud

**Author's Note:**

> as requested, fluff for agentreeb. happy holidays! I hope you enjoy this. it was fun to write!

Fitz considers himself a fairly docile man. At least, he’s become one in his thirties, as a father. Jemma  
doesn't quite let him forget the overanxious, awkward young man he once was. She assures him she loved it, but Fitz is a little embarrassed for his younger self. In his early twenties, before he developed feelings for Jemma, he was much more composed around her; he thinks she’s driven him just a little mad. But he doesn’t mind so much. He just looks at the woman he loves, and the little girl they’ve made from that love, and Fitz is his docile self. That’s not to say that Alya doesn’t also drive Fitz a little mad. And when the two of them gang up? A man can only handle so much.

“Jemma?” Fitz calls as he hangs his keys by the door. He had run to the supermarket quickly, as they’d been out of milk and bread— Alya has a bowl of cereal and a sandwich every day— but came back to a seemingly empty house. Fitz shakes off his sopping raincoat and slips off his trainers. He walks to the kitchen, putting the milk in the refrigerator and the bread in the cabinet. Fitz frowns, heading up the stairs next in pursuit of his wife and daughter. It was raining rather hard, so he couldn’t imagine they’d gone to the nearby park. 

Fitz turns into Alya’s bedroom first, finding just a neatly made bed and a small girl’s clothes thrown on the floor. He smiles at his daughter’s mix of his and Jemma’s cleanliness(or lack thereof) qualities. He shuts the bedroom door, moving onto his own. Jemma and Alya aren’t in there either. So he resolves to give Jemma a call. He heads back down the stairs and into the kitchen. He smiles for a moment, seeing the picture of Alya on her first day of school, a grin matching his own. Jemma’s hands are on her shoulders, and her brown hair falls over her shoulders. Fitz picks up his phone from the kitchen table and rings Jemma. 

He hears her phone ring from the sitting room. He goes to the small table in between the television and the sofa; there is Jemma’s phone. A note in her neat handwriting is underneath it. Fitz picks it up.

_Fitz,_

_Alya was feeling bored, so we decided to go out to the garden. Come join us(we are going to catch raindrops on our tongue— she’ll love it)._

_Jemma_

Fitz grins, and tosses the note aside to grab his raincoat and dirty trainers. He heads out to the garden, finding Jemma and Alya digging through the dirt.

“What are you two doing?” Fitz gapes. Alya is covered in mud; he thinks his daughter might be in there somewhere. Jemma comes out from behind a plant holder, not at all phased by how dirty their daughter is. “Did you go swimming?”

Jemma’s mouth goes wide, then she grins. “She did it. Your daughter is a menace, just like you.” Alya giggles loudly, holding up something for Fitz.

“Dad, I found a worm. He lives in the mud all the time. Can I live in the mud all the time?” Fitz bites his lip.

“Al, the worm needs to be in the dirt to live. Surely mummy has told you that. You, my darling girl, need a bed to sleep in. You do like your bed right?”

“Could I put my bed in the dirt?” Alya turns to Jemma,  
who is barely containing her laughter. “I’ll bring my bed out here! Then I can live with the worms!”

“No!” Fitz says quickly. Jemma bursts out laughing at that. “Monkey, don’t you want to go inside and watch the rain from the sofa? We could watch a movie, or we could play a game…”

“Daddy! We can play games out here! Mummy and I were just playing hopscotch! Look,” Alya says with a bossy attitude that rivals her mother’s. Fitz can’t help, she’s adorable and totally a mini Jemma(though Jemma would say she’s a mini Fitz).

Alya jumps unceremoniously in the mid, stomping into the mud. It flies up around her, which makes the girl laugh and laugh. Jemma meets Fitz’s eyes. Fitz groans, inching closer. Then, Alya jumps at him, and Fitz’s heart races. He grabs her, hoisting her up. He adjusts Alya onto his back, and he treks over to Jemma, who’s wearing a proud grin. Fitz stomps one foot into the mud, and it flies all over Jemma. Jemma gasps, then wipes it off of her face. Fitz puts Alya down, then whispers to her.

“Join my team, and I’ll let you have ice cream after dinner.” Alya grins, nodding vigorously. But Fitz isn’t quick enough, and Jemma throws mud at Fitz.

“Oh, it is on, Simmons!” Fitz grins, pretending to be affronted. Alya shrieks when Jemma gently flicks some mud at her daughter— who kicks as much mud as she can muster back at her mother.

“Daddy help me!” Alya laughs, tumbling into the mud. Fitz beams. He pulls Jemma towards him, falling into the muddy mess beside their daughter. Jemma and Fitz fall into peals of laughter. 

***

An hour later, after a short shower for each parent, and a long bath for Alya, the family of three sits at their kitchen table. Fitz fills himself a glass of water while Alya and Jemma chat about Alya’s newfound fascination: worms. 

“Daddy, how come you don’t like worms?” Alya turns to her father. Fitz grins, taking a seat beside her.

“I don’t dislike worms. I just happen to prefer monkeys,” he winks. Alya giggles, pressing a kiss to his nose. Fitz’s heart melts. 

“So, what do we say about a _real_ biology lesson tomorrow after school?” Jemma coaxes, sipping her tea. Fitz gives her a knowing grin, but a loving one. God, he really does love her. 

“Can we have ice cream too? Daddy said—“

“Daddy said you could have ice cream?” Jemma raises her eyebrows at Fitz. “I guess ice cream and ecology it is, then.” 

“Sounds perfect,” Fitz runs his fingers through Alya’s blonde hair, only slightly lighter than his own.


End file.
